Buxton Fringe announces art contest winner!

Buxton Festival Fringe has announced the winner of its recent competition to create the cover image for this year’s printed Fringe programme.

Elizabeth Rose, a 21-year-old aspiring artist from Buxton, took inspiration from the Fringe’s friendliness for her design which features a variety of people tumbling through the air, sharing their love of different art forms. The image is entitled Falling for Buxton Festival Fringe.

She explains: “I aimed to capture the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the festival in my artwork. Although it’s not my usual art style, I believe the whimsical illustration style and lively, unique characters perfectly convey this feeling. By stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new creatively, I feel I was able to capture the spirit of Buxton Festival Fringe. I’m really happy with the outcome and hope everyone likes the cover!”

Elizabeth grew up in Belper but moved to Eyam in 2020 to be close to her grandparents who live in the Peak District. Last year she relocated to Buxton where her younger sister is finishing her last year of college. The art competition prize of £100 will help her achieve a particular ambition: “I’m currently saving money for my travels around Asia, where I get a lot of inspiration for my art.” Elizabeth’s portfolio can be found at https://www.behance.net/elizabethrose15.

Three joint runners up have also been announced: Dave Carlisle for his unmissable orange sheep in sunglasses, Emma Bouchier for her panoramic design of Buxton at festival time and Joanna Allen, a former competition winner from New Mills, for her intricate collagraph print.

The Fringe wishes to thank everyone who entered. Fringe Marketing Officer Stephanie Billen says: “We were really blown away by the standard of entries this year though it made the judging quite hard! But we particularly loved Elizabeth’s beautiful picture which captures the Fringe’s sense of fun, variety and adventure and reflects our aim to appeal to audiences and performers of all ages and from all different backgrounds.”

A selection of entries to the competition can be seen on the Fringe website on a Gallery page.